Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-09
AGUAS CALIENTES.
A TRAVELLERS EXPERIENCE AT A
NOTED MEXICAN RESORT.

Hundreds of People Dispsrtins Them
selves at the Public Bathtub The
Luxury of Hot Bath-Horsc Cars in
Mexico-Tin Horns.
This charming city is quite noted resort,
| OH account of its hot water springs. Its
| name, Aguas Calientes, means warm waters.
There is great deal here to interest a
stranger, but the baths are the principal at
traction, and they are very fine. If some
| enterprising Yankee could come down here.
take possession of these springs and extensive
~ advertise them he would make money; but
the present owners are tainted with the
usual slowness and conservatism of the aver
age Mexican, and consequently they do only
a moderate business The baths are about a
mile and half from the city, at the end Of a
very broad, beautiful alameda, or shaded
avenue, which runs to the city.
One beautiful, bright morning 1 started
for the spring to take my first bath there
(bano, Horse cars would carry me- but
preferred to walk in the cool shade of the
large trees which line the avenue. There
Is canal running on one side of the alameda
from the springs to the city. 1t was built
by the city and is called the Municipal canal
1t is about five feet wide, and here the popu-
lace may battle to its hearts content free Of
charge.
1t is the public bathtub, and it is COM
mon thing for hundreds to be seen at one
time disporting themselves in it's waters As
l walked on the banks l saw men, women
and children taking their morning baths,
with natures simple dress for bathing sui S.
There were also women washing clothes, rub
bling them on flat stones in manner which
explained the generally used up appearance
of my clothes which had been returned
to me the day before from a similar laundry,
looking as if they had been through Next
can war
a LUXURIOUS BATH.
Arriving at the bath, was shown to my
ROOM and banded soap, towel and a large
white sheet. Not knowing whether this
sheet was intended for bathing suit towel,
or what, l inquired of my polite attendant,
and, with the aid of an agreeable English
man who happened along at the time and
acted as an interpreter, l learned that, after
bathing, | was to sit down wrapped in this
winding sheet, and slowly dry and cool
From the dressing room 1 descended by
short flight of stone Heps TO the water, which
by very high stone walls The space between
these walls was about fifteen feet square
large enough for swim. The temperature
Of the water was 107 deg.
But the bath-what luxury! Clear, bub-
bling, h1t water, gushing from fine gravely
soil, it was simply delightful, and left no
enervating effects. The primitiveneSs and
cleanneSs constituted one charm of the place.
The bathing apartments vary in size, and the
water in different basins is of different tenn
peratures The larger baths cost dos reales
twenty-five cents, while the smaller ones
cost only I'm real twelve and half cents.
must say a little about the horse cars in
Mexico. | call them horse cars from habit,
but they are usually drawn by donkeys. The
horse car here is called la tranvia The cars
are familiar objects i'll appearance, for they
are mostly manufactured IN the United States
There are first and second class cars, and
sometimes freight and mail car.
ON A MEXICAN HORSE CAR
~ first ride on Il horse car Ill this country
was one morning when | saw Standinswke ear
the plaza an open car and closed box or.
/ have always considered a ride i'll an open
horse car in warm weather n luxury, and
preferable to riding III d box car, and | knew
Of no reason why my taste should change amy
in Mexico, so boarded the open car But
soon found that [ was riding second class, and
paid only half the regular fins: class, or box
car. fare while the first class passengers rae
in the box car.
The drivers on most OF the cars carry fiend-
ish tin horns, which they very frequently
blow in the most energetic manner, especially
before coming to Il corner OF a cross street.
At first the sound was startling and dis
agreeable, but have become accustomed to
the music, and can now hear them with COM
placency, for the sound assures me that
somebody is active and awake in this dreamy
atmosphere. The noise reminds me of the
horn music we are privileged to enjoy in the
United States about the Fourth of July
time.
One day in my wanderings in this city, l
found myself in an ancient cemetery, sur
rounded by high walls. There were many
graves dug, waiting for future occupants.
New graves had been trespassed on old ones,
and the old ones had been forced to yield up
their dead, so that the ground was strewn
with bones and fragments of Skeletons
Mexico Cor Boston Transcript.
More than half century ago French